a bump to the head
by yourbcky
Summary: James can't remember her.


**Just more of me splitting To Die by Your Side up into individual one shots. Written for the prompt 'James is in an accident and forgets he is in a relationship with Lily. He only remembers that she hates him, and gets really confused when he wakes up with her all over him!' from pink-daishies on tumblr. The song Lily's singing in the beginning is _Sugar Girl_ by Blondie. Okay, formatting is now fixed.**

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 _"Cold as ice cream, still as sweet."_ A voice near his waist was singing quietly. It was the only noise in the room, but in the distance he could hear the sounds of bottles tinkling as they tapped against each other and a stern voice telling someone to stay still. Which meant that he was in the Hospital Wing.

He couldn't see anything, and even if he had wanted to shatter the illusion that the person singing was who he thought it was, he wouldn't have been able to. His eyes felt like they were made of lead and it was like his eyelids had been welded together.

The singing stopped when he rolled his shoulders experimentally and groaned when pain shot down his left arm, his fingers curling slightly. He could hear rustling parchment and the low thud of a book being closed before there was a gentle hand resting on his forehead. The smell of violets and cinnamon filled his nostrils and he inhaled deeply.

"James?" The voice asked hesitantly, and James tried to frown. That voice really did sound exactly like Evans, but what she could be doing at his bedside was beyond him. He lifted a bandaged hand to the bridge of his nose, his attempt at a frown growing when his bare fingers brushed against rough gauze.

"What happened?" He groaned, his arm flopping back down onto the duvet.

"You don't remember?" The person who sounded a lot like Evans was nervous, like this wasn't what she'd been expecting upon him waking up.

"Not really," he hedged, trying to think of what had happened before he'd woken up a few minutes ago. So far his brain wasn't helping much, the only thing coming to mind being the black blur of a bludger flying towards him. "The last thing I remember is being hit by a bludger. I think it was here." He tapped his left temple lightly, wincing when pain tap danced across his forehead.

"Madame Pomfrey said there might be some amnesia. The bludger hit you pretty hard." A hand wrapped itself around his own, fingers beginning to intertwine before he pulled back. Pretending to cough, he didn't miss the small, sad sigh that his visitor let out.

"Look, Evans, - you are Evans, aren't you? - why are you here?" James wanted to know, genuine curiosity lacing his voice. Evans hated him. She'd said as much the other day, when she'd told him she'd rather go on a date with the giant squid in front of what might as well have been the entire school.

"You're my boyfriend, idiot, why wouldn't I be here?" The girl's voice was soft, and James could hear movement, as if she was getting out of the chair she'd been in. The soles of her shoes slapped across the flagstone floor, echoing around the quiet room. It took him a few seconds to register what she'd said, and once he had, he laughed mockingly.

"I don't have a girlfriend. And even if I did, it definitely wouldn't be you, Evans." He hadn't meant that to be as harsh as it had sounded, but before he could take it back, he heard the tell tale sniffle that indicated Evans was about to start crying.

"Then I'm sorry to disappoint you." She said sarcastically, wiping a fist under her nose, and glaring at the figure laying on the bed. He couldn't see her, but that didn't stop her.

"Is this all just some big prank you cooked up with the lads?" James asked with a scoff. "Play a joke on poor, hurt James? Well, s'not funny."

"Potter, if I wanted to play a joke on you, I promise you it wouldn't involve me sitting at your bloody bedside for ten hours." Lily snapped back, unable to stop herself. Madame Pomfrey had warned them when James had first been brought to the Hospital Wing that he may be out of sorts for a while. She'd also told them to treat James like normal, and that the possible amnesia wouldn't last for too long.

"Bollocks. You can barely stand to be in the same room as me for five minutes."

Lily sighed again, swiping at her eyes angrily. This was more difficult than she'd thought it would be. Part of her had refused to entertain the idea that James wouldn't remember their relationship.

"Alright, Potter. I have a suggestion for you. I'll tell you something about yourself that only you should know. Will that satisfy you, you finicky bastard?"

James couldn't stop the snort that escaped, the dimple he hated appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Go for it, Evans."

"You've got a scar on your bum from when you were a little kid and your cat scratched you. You're insecure about your dimples because your Aunt Druella once told you they meant you had Dragon Pox. Oh, and you have a really weird fixation with cassette tapes."

James' mouth was slack by the time she'd finished and she bit back a satisfied smile.

"James, I _promise_ this isn't a joke. I'd never do something like to anyone, let alone you." Lily reached for his hand again, hesitating just before she touched him. Her eyes were on his face and so she didn't notice him reaching out for her. When his fingers wrapped gently around hers, she jumped, and undignified squeak leaving her mouth and he grinned in her direction.

"Okay, Evans. I'll believe you. But only because you're too nice."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes towards the arched ceiling. When he eventually remembered everything, he'd more than likely take those words back.

As Lily absent-mindedly stroked a thumb over his knuckles, James was left feeling an odd sense of familiarity. He trusted Evans; she'd never lied to him and had always told him exactly how she felt. Which meant that what she said was almost definitely true. Trouble was, he didn't remember, no matter how hard he tried to.

Five days later had James out of the Hospital Wing and entrusted to the loving care of his best friend. Sirius had come to get him, growing increasingly irritable when Madame Pomfrey had insisted on checking James over one last time.

"About sodding time." He grumbled once they were finally released. They were headed towards Gryffindor Tower, taking as many short-cuts as possible. As they came out of a hidden passage, he glanced at his best mate. "Do you really not remember anything from the last two years, Prongs?"

"Bits and pieces." James answered vaguely, internally grinning. He wasn't going to mention that Lily tasted like chocolate, peppermint and strawberries. Nor was he going to mention that he remembered the incident in fifth year with Snape and Moony. Sirius had been miserable for the past few days, he wasn't going to make it worse.

"Like what?" Padfoot challenged with a grin.

"Like the fact you're a complete pillock." When Sirius reached out to swat at his head, James ducked with a grin. "I also recall the two months worth of detention I got last year for your clever idea of bewitching the bog roll in the second floor toilets."

Sirius stopped trying to hit him and smiled. "That was a bloody brilliant prank, Prongs, and you know it."

"Well, yeah. I was the one that fine tuned it into a masterpiece. You're just the twat who wanted to scare some first years." He didn't move in time and the palm of the slightly shorter male's hand slapped into his shoulder.

"Shut up. I'll have you know, the Marauders would never have reached this level of infamous popularity and respect without me."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Pads." James answered, coming to a stop outside of the portrait of the Fat Lady. He waited for Sirius to mutter the password and then jostled his friend out of the way so he could get into the Common Room first.

Lily was sat at one of the tables in front of the fire, her back leaning against Remus' legs as he showed her something in the book he was holding. There was another book lying on the table, ink splotches decorating one of the corners. A piece of parchment next to it almost completely covered in her handwriting, and from the small picture of a cauldron it was decided that they were doing Potions.

The two boys moved in sync, eating up the floor in a few strides and dropping down next to their friends. Sirius collapsed onto the sofa with a dramatic sigh, kicking his shoes off and digging his toes into James' shoulder. James lowered himself onto the floor beside his girlfriend, swatting at Sirius' feet.

"You got here in one piece, then?" Lily asked with a grin, patting Sirius' knee when he huffed at her.

"Barely, Padfoot almost got me killed at least twice."

"That second time was _not_ my fault! It's not my fault you're the actual definition of clumsy. Nor is it my fault that that second year was there." Sirius countered quickly, looking to Remus for help.

"But the first time was?" Moony asked instead, closing his book and placing it on the arm of the sofa.

James left them to bicker between themselves, reaching out to carefully entwine his fingers with Lily's. When she looked up at him in hopeful confusion he offered her a smile. He leant over to kiss her on the forehead, his smile widening when the scent of cinnamon filled his nostrils.

"Prongs,' Sirius complained in a pained voice, 'we've talked about this. No public displays of affection unless you're willing to share with everyone."

"Later, dear." James answered, turning to wink at the two Marauders who were sniggering quietly.


End file.
